Seth white paine



(No Model.)

s. W. PAINE.

v CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR CHECK BOOKS. A No. 3674230.

Pat ted July 26 Lilhagnpbsr. wman m. u c

- ter and its support in place.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SETH WHITE PAIN EfOF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

CUTTING 'ATTACHM ENT FOR CH EC K-BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,230, dated July 26, 1887- Application filed April 18, 1887. Serial No. 235,232. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern;

I Be it known that I, S TH WHITE PAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have'invented new and useful Improvements in Cutting Attachments for Check- Books, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a cutting attachment for that class of check, draft, or receipt books in which a series of independent blanks and stubs are bound in a single cover and separatedby longitudinal spaces between the consecutive stubs and checks.

The invention consists of a transverse cutter or straight-edge adj ustably mounted on or attached to a support arranged ina longitudinal space between two consecutive check, draft, or receipt blanks, and capable of being moved in line with its support to and from the transverse division-line between each blank and its stub, whereby all the checks or other blanks can be accurately, uniformly,and neatly severed'from their stubs, leaving the stubs of uniform length and enabling them to be readily disengaged from beneath the cutter and turned back after the check, draft, or receipt has been torn oft".

In the particular construction illustrated in the annexed drawings, Figurel is a perspective view of a check-book having two independent blanksand stubs to each page, said blanks separated by a longitudinal space, and showing my improved adjustable cutter applied for use. Fig. 2 is a plan of one of the pages, showing two checks and stubs, with the cutter and its support removed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cutter and its support detached. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line a: a: of Fig. 1, showing the cut- Fig. 5 is a similar section illustrating a modification in the cutter-support or means for attaching it to the book.

The letterAdesignates the cover of a checkbook, B the checks, and C the stubs. In this check-book the consecutive blanks of each page are separated by a longitudinal space, at, extending the whole length of each check and its stub. This space a may beof any sufficient width to permit the passage of a support,

D, for a cutter or straight-edge, E, that extends across the several checks of each page. In the form of construction shown each page of the book consists of two independent blanks and their stubs, with a central longitudinal space, a, and each blank may have a transverse line, b, marked thereon to indicate the place of separation between the check and 1ts stub. .The cutter E is mounted adjustably on its support in such a manner as to rest transversely on the blanks at about the junction of the checks and stubs, and so as to be capable of movement to and from the line 12, indicating the point where they are to be torn apart.

I prefer to employ a cutter-support consisting of an arm, D, of wire, flat metal, or other elastic or flexible material. One end of this arm D may be spread or extended, as shown at c, and secured by cement or otherwise to the inner side of the back cover of the book or to a back fly-leaf. This arm D is located in the space a, and is slightly bent or curved to project diagonally toward the stubs. The free end of the arm D is passed through a loop or eye, (1, formed on or attached to the cutter E, and the latter is thereby arranged so as to be moved back and forth on. its supporting-arm between stops or shoulders e e,formedthereon, as shown.

When it. is desired to detach a check, the cutter or straight-edge E is adjusted to br ng its outer edge into coincidence with the line b, and is then pressed down firmly onto the leaf with'the fingers of the left hand,while the check is grasped with the fingers of the rlght hand and torn off transversely along the edge of the cutter. By then moving the cutter. along its support slightly to the right the'edge of the stub willbe uncovered, so it can be turned back. If the cutter is carefully adjusted to the lines bin succession, the several stubs will be left of equal length, notwithstanding the draw of the leaves on opening the cover, and the last check, draft, or receipt will be severed just as neatly as the first.

If desired, the ends of the cutter or straightedge E can be slightly turned down, or pro-- vided with narrow flanges f f, to assist in keeping the cutter and the leaves in proper relative position.

Instead of mounting the cutter E on a supporting-arm D, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, it may be attached to the book by means of one or more elastic bands, F, passed through an eye or eyes, 9, on the under side of the cutter and extended through the longitudinal space a to the opposite ends of the back, to which the ends of the band or bands F can be secured in any suitable manner, as shown in Fig. 5.

It is obvious that the elastic band or hands F will draw the transverse cutter E down in close contact with thefaces of the upper blanks, and yet allow it to be moved to the right and left to adjust it to the lines b, or to permit the disengagement and backward turning of the stub of the severed blank.

Although I have shown a check-book having only two blanks to each page, it is evident that a larger book, with three or more blanks, can be adapted to the cutter E in like manner, a longitudinal space a being arranged between the several blanks of each page, and a cutter-support, as arm D or band F, located in each longitudinal space. In this everitthe cutter E will have a loop or eye (I for each elastic arm, or an eye g for each elastic band.

When all the check, draft, or receiptblanks have been exhausted, the cutter and its support or supports can be easily detached and repeatedly applied to and used with other books of like character.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, with a check, draft, or

receipt book having blanks separated by a l0n gitudinal space, of a cutter-support located in said space, and a transverse cutter or straightedge adjustable on said support, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a cutter or straightedge adjustably mounted on a detachable arm having stops to limit the movement of said cutter or straightedgc, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed mysig nature in presence of two witnesses.

S. W'HITE PAINE.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. Nonais, J. A. RUTHERFORD. 

